"Unbelievable... Brings to life a burgeoning - and quite civilized - empire" - The Telegraph

"Radiates with energy, insight, and passion... hard to put down" - Nicholas Morton, BBC History Magazine

Control the sea, and you control everything... an enthralling story of dynastic rivalries and innovation, from the author of the classic work "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World". Genghis Khan created a terrifying land empire, but he never crossed the sea. However, by the time his grandson Kublai Khan defeated the last remnants of the Song Empire and established the Yuan dynasty in 1279, the Mongols controlled the world's most powerful fleet. How did a nomad come to conquer China and dominate the sea? Based on ten years of research and a lifetime immersed in Mongol culture and tradition, "The Emperor of the Sea" brings this little-known story to life. Kublai Khan is one of history's most fascinating characters. He brought Muslim mathematicians to his court, where they invented modern cartography and astronomical measurement. He transformed the world's largest landmass into a united, diverse, and economically progressive empire by introducing paper currency. And, after bitter initial failures, he transformed China into an outward-looking maritime empire. By the end of his reign, the Chinese were building and supplying remarkable ships to carry men, grain, and weaponry over large distances, of a size and skill that would be unthinkable in Europe for hundreds of years. Khan had reached a stunning realization: control the sea, and you control everything. A master storyteller with an unrivaled understanding of Mongol sources, Jack Weatherford shows how China's maritime supremacy forever changed the world - revolutionizing global trade and transforming tastes as far as England and France.

Pages: 368, Year of Publication: 0204, Dimensions: 15.3x15.3cm